Chloe and the Kickers
by neve-grey
Summary: High school senior Beca Mitchell falls for her soccer coach - university student, Chloe Beale. Despite the evidence of feelings, the girls can't technically be together. Chloe would be in serious trouble with the school if they found out something was going on... but do you really think that will stop them anyway?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One **

"Dad, I hate sport. I don't want to join a team!"

"Bec, if you want a good shot at getting into a decent college, you have to be well-rounded."

Beca threw her arms up and spun around comically.

"I am, dad! Look at my well-rounded figure in these sweat-pants."

Mr Mitchell rolled his eyes at his daughter. He didn't like pressuring Beca to do things, but he knew how competitive it was to get into a good college. After all, he worked at Barden University. Beca could get a free education because of that, sure – but getting accepted was a whole other matter. Beca's grades weren't bad, but Mr Mitchell new that sometimes the difference between getting in and getting rejected could come down to extra-curricular participation.

Mr Mitchell did his best to soften his tone.

"Look. You're in your last year of school, Bec. Try something out, and if you hate it, you don't have to do it. And if you stick it out for a term… well, we can look at that DJ equipment you want."

That had Beca's attention.

"Are you serious?" she said, her eyes wide.

"Serious."

Beca paused, weighing up the situation.

"Fine," she sighed, throwing herself down on the couch and putting potato chips in her mouth.

"But you hav' to keep your prom'is," she said through a mouthful.

"I will," Mr Mitchell said with a defeated shake of his head.

* * *

The next day at school, Beca grimly approached the sign-up sheets in the school hall for winter sports. Already people were jostling to get their names down for certain teams; her best friend Jesse had already signed up for tennis and soccer.

Beca spent a few minutes complaining about how she'd much rather pick up another music lesson or even join a theatre group – but she was already committed to several arts groups, so it wasn't really feasible to do so.

"Just stick it out," Jesse reasoned over the loud chatter of everyone in the hall. "Then you can get the DJ equipment… it doesn't even have to be a competitive team. You can try out for social soccer. My sister's friend is the coach for seniors."

"Jesse, have you seen me run? I look like a mountain troll. Combine running with ball coordination and I'd be the laughing stock of the team."

"Bec, if you can play all those instruments I know you can play, then you can learn to kick a ball. Plus, what are your other options? Basketball?"

Beca laughed as she imagined her 5 foot self on a basketball court.

"Fine," she groaned, although admittedly she had a small smile on her face. Dragging her feet, she approached the soccer sign-up table.

A beautiful redheaded girl was sitting behind it. She smiled broadly when Beca stepped forward anxiously.

"Are you interested in becoming a part of the girls' social soccer team?" she asked, holding out a decorated flyer with information on it. For a moment Beca could do nothing but stare at the girl. She was definitely not a student.

Jesse stepped forward and nudged Beca, who finally reached out and took the flyer.

"Oh hey, Jesse!" the girl suddenly said when Jesse was in view.

"Hey, Chloe. Good to see you. How's uni?"

"It's good, thanks. Part of one of my papers is to coach a team, so I get to spend a lot of time at your school this year."

"Awesome. Well, my best friend Beca wants to be a part of your team."

Jesse pushed Beca forward even more, and gave her a look as if to say, _'well? Go on.'_

Glaring at Jesse, Beca mustered a smile.

"Yes. I would like to join your team," she said through gritted teeth.

"Excellent, well, we've got trials this Wednesday – don't worry, they're just a formality," Chloe said with a wink when she saw Beca's face contort with horror.

"I've never even played before. I guarantee you I'll be useless," Beca said warningly.

To her surprise, Chloe's warm expression didn't falter.

"It doesn't matter. We just play for fun. If you wanted something more competitive, you'd join Aubrey's team. She's over there."

Chloe pointed to a table a few along from Chloe's. Sure enough, there was a stern-faced blonde girl talking very seriously to some fit looking seniors.

"She's in my class at uni," Chloe added with a small wave as her and Aubrey's gaze met. Aubrey merely gave a curt nod and continued with what looked like her stringent requirements for her team.

Chloe handed her a pen.

"I'd love to see you at trials," she said, looking up at Beca from her seat with dangerously blue eyes.

Beca couldn't have said no at this point even if she'd wanted to. She scrawled _Beca Mitchell_ on the sheet and tossed the pen back on the table.

"Great! Well all the information you need is on the flyer. But basically, practice is twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays. Games are on Saturday mornings. Trials are this Wednesday at 4pm… but like I said, there's no need to stress over that. It's just a formality."

"Okay. Well, guess you own my soul now," Beca said with a sigh.

"It was nice to meet you, Beca," Chloe said. She reached out to shake Beca's hand.

"You too," Beca said, taking hold of Chloe's. It was soft. Warm. She had the strangest feeling all of a sudden – that she didn't want to let go.

The handshake seemed to go on slightly longer than usual. Jesse brought Beca back to reality.

"Dude, let go of the girl's hand, we'll be late to Math."

"Right. Sorry. Bye, Chloe."

"See you on Wednesday!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The day after Beca had signed up for social soccer, she somehow found herself outside a sports shop while walking home.

She pulled her cell phone out her bag and dialled Jesse's number.

"Jesse. Something's wrong with me. I accidentally walked to a sports shop. What am I doing?"

"Er… probably getting soccer boots?" he tried. "You will need new shoes. And probably a ball."

"Ugh," Beca said, folding her arms and glaring at the entrance. "You're right. I just… I don't know. Don't even know why I called you. Just thought you might want to know I was here."

"Ha. Thanks for the um, update, you weirdo. I've got to go… I'm at my own trials. See you at school tomorrow."

"Bye Jesse," Beca said darkly. She had semi-hoped her friend would be around to guide her through the process of buying new soccer equipment.

Reluctantly, she made her way inside and stood in front of the wall of soccer boots, not excited at the prospect of spending her hard earned café money on sport. There were so many kinds of boot it was rather overwhelming to her.

She was almost ready to give up when a voice startled her.

"Hi Beca!"

Beca spun around at the sound of her name and swallowed. It was Chloe, the coach of her future team. Her bright red hair stood out brilliantly on her navy blue coat. She looked casual, but there was something effortlessly sexy about her.

Beca's face flushed.

"Oh. Hi, Chloe."

She zipped up her hoodie to hide her rugged _Clash_ t-shirt, but then remembering she was wearing a hoodie, promptly unzipped it again.

"I'm just buying some boots," Beca added awkwardly. "And I have no effing idea what I'm supposed to be looking for."

Chloe smiled and Beca wanted to give her own face a slap for its relentless blushing.

"Well, you'll probably want to start off with just a good, all-round boot. I like this brand here - because it's decent enough but still well priced."

Beca picked up the spiky boot.

"Alright, guess I'll give that one a try, then."

The chubby boy behind the counter had finally noticed Beca's presence and darted over. Beca gave her size to him, and he dashed out the back to grab what she needed.

"There's been a pretty good interest in the team, actually," Chloe said into the silence. Beca was surprised the redhead was making such an effort to keep the conversation going.

"That's… good," Beca said, doing her best to sound like she cared about soccer.

"Have you always played?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Chloe said, taking a step closer and lowering her voice.

"I've played soccer for a few years, but I've never been a coach. Don't tell the other girls… might lose some authority."

Chloe signed off the sentence with another one of those winks.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I've never been a coach either."

Chloe laughed and Beca wondered if what she had said was even funny.

The chubby boy returned and for the next twenty minutes, she tried on a host of boots. To Beca's dismay, Chloe had taken it upon herself to help. She had apparently come to the store to get a new match soccer ball and some protein powder, and since she "wasn't in a rush," had no issue with hanging around.

In the end, Beca chose a lime green pair of boots – and after she'd paid for them, Chloe admitted she had exactly the same ones.

"I didn't want to tell you because I thought it might stop you from getting them," Chloe said as the two of them left the store.

"Will we look stupid if we have the same ones?" Beca enquired, suddenly anxious.

"Well, remember, I won't actually be playing in the games," Chloe replied.

"Oh yeah. Right."

The two girls made their way out onto the main street towards the bus stop.

"You live North too, then?" Beca asked, adjusting her large bag. Chloe had helped her decide on a practice ball too.

"Yeah, I do. Hey, we'll be able to car-pool to games!" Chloe said happily, taking a seat at the stop.

"I don't have a car," Beca said, inwardly cursing herself.

"That's fine, I can just pick you up. And I can probably drop you off home after practices – you'll just need to give me a hand with packing up the gear afterwards."

For some reason Beca thought that she was getting a much greater deal.

* * *

On the bus, the two chatted about school and University. As it turned out, Chloe went to Barden University, where Mr Mitchell worked.

Chloe was studying to become a teacher. She wasn't sure what particular area and for what age group, but was excited for where it could take her.

"They want you to get hands-on experience with actual kids. Which is kind of hilarious, because you're what, a year younger than me?"

"It would seem so," Beca said, conscious of Chloe's leg touching her own.

After about ten minutes, the bus pulled up and Chloe, who was sitting by the window, had to get out. She had told Beca she flatted with the other coach, Aubrey.

"Silly me, should have asked who was getting off first," Chloe said, locking eyes with Beca and sliding past.

"It's cool, it's cool," Beca said, looking away as the redhead's body made contact with her own. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat.

"Alright, have a good afternoon. Was lovely to see you!"

And with a final squeeze of Beca's arm, Chloe jumped off the bus with a wave. As the bus continued on towards her own house, Beca gently touched the area the blue-eyed woman had, feeling something strange in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Beca felt like an idiot. She hadn't worn her P.E gear in years, and it was slightly too small. Her soccer boots were virtually a hazard they were so bright.

She lined up on the field with the other girls, some of whom already knew each other. Beca didn't know any of the girls by name; the majority of her friends could be found in the music department.

Chloe blew her whistle.

"Okay!" she called out, her hands on her hips, ball at her feet. "I'll be your coach for the season. My name's Chloe and I want to tell you right now that this team is purely for friendly fun. We're going to train twice a week to develop skills and keep your fitness up, but I'm not going to lose it if you can't make a training or a game. So long as you let me know."

She paused and surveyed the group before continuing.

"If this isn't going to be competitive enough for you, I'd recommend joining the A1 or A2 team. My friend Aubrey is the coach of one of them, so you can go and talk to her."

Her eyes travelled over the ten or-so girls standing in front of her, coming to rest on Beca, who was standing at the end of the line. Beca could have sworn Chloe flashed her the most fleeting of smiles.

"So, let's all get in a circle, and we can learn each other's names. Say a bit about yourself and then kick the ball to someone else."

It took a couple of minutes for the group to arrange themselves into what could only be described as a wonky oval. Chloe kicked the ball to a tall brunette girl.

"Hi. I'm Stacie. I'm a senior and I want to play social soccer to meet cute boys at the games."

Stacie was quite stunning; she had long hair and legs that went on forever. She kicked the ball towards a girl opposite her with beautiful dark skin, and whose hair was longer on one side than the other.

"My name is Cynthia Rose. I'm playing soccer because I need to get off Internet poker."

There was a smattering of giggles as Cynthia Rose attempted to kick the ball to the next girl, who missed it completely and ran after it. By the time she got back to the circle she was puffing.

"Hi. I'm Fat Amy. I'm from Tasmania and I'm sick of all my boyfriends and I want to meet some cool chicks."

Fat Amy kicked the ball to Beca.

"You call yourself 'Fat Amy?" Chloe asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"Yeah, so twig bitches like you don't say it behind my back."

Beca snorted. She liked Fat Amy immediately. And after an hour of being with the girls on the field, discovered that perhaps it wasn't going to be quite as bad as she had thought. Beca certainly wasn't the only one who was being forced into playing – and she certainly wasn't the least fit. But in saying that, there was lots of room for improvement.

Chloe had them set up some cones for ball drills. Every twenty minutes she'd get them to run two laps around the field. They practiced goal kicking and did some press-ups, and by the end of the two hours, everyone except Chloe looked exhausted.

"Nice work, everyone! I can formally and officially invite you to be a part of the 'Crescent Kickers!' Chloe said excitedly. (They went to Crescent High School.)

Fat Amy and Stacie clapped.

"Alright, now off you go, and see you on Friday!"

The girls headed off to the changing rooms and showers. But as discussed, Beca waited around and helped Chloe pack up the gear.

"You know, I don't know what you were going on about," Chloe said, her arms laden with cones. "You've got quite a bit of natural ability."

"Ha, you're too kind," Beca said, holding open the netted bag for Chloe to toss in the equipment.

Beca couldn't help but watch the way Chloe held herself. She was so confident, and yet, had a definite softness to her. There was something else about Chloe that Beca couldn't quite lay a finger on. What was it? Maybe it was the way her hair was starting to fall out of its ponytail. Maybe it was the way her t-shirt was slipping ever so slightly off her shoulder. Perhaps it was those blue eyes that –

"Hey Bec, Bec!"

For the first time since they had become friends, Beca was disappointed to see Jesse jogging towards her and her coach.

Chloe smirked.

"Are you two…?"

"Oh, god, no," Beca said, desperate to clarify. For some reason she wanted Chloe to know that she definitely wasn't seeing Jesse – in fact, she was quite single.

"Sure," Chloe said with a wry smile.

"We're not! He's basically my broth –hey Jesse, what are you doing here?"

Jesse had caught up to the two girls.

"I've got you some post-trial dinner."

He held out Beca's favourite. Chinese food in a takeaway box.

"Thought you might be hungry. Was going to come along and watch but I knew you'd tell me to clear off. So, Chloe, how much of a disaster was she?"

"Actually, she was pretty good," Chloe said coolly, putting the last of the gear away.

"Guess you won't be needing a ride home tonight?" Chloe added. Beca tried to trace any hint of disappointment in the redhead's voice.

"I'll take her back, but thanks," Jesse said.

Beca felt a flash of annoyance. Jesse wasn't her boyfriend, and perhaps she'd let him get too… perhaps at times it looked like their friendship might be crossing the line.

"Is it still okay if I get a ride with you on Friday?" Beca asked as the coach made to leave.

"Of course. Not a problem," Chloe smiled. "See you then. Bye, Jesse," she said, heading over to her car.

Beca felt guilty for wishing Jesse hadn't showed up to the trial. But all the same, she wasn't about to let her disappointment be evident. She didn't want to be mean to him.

The two sat on the field and ate before heading home, and Beca was, surprisingly, inexplicably excited for Friday.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Friday finally dawned, Beca was up bright and early. Thursday had seemed to stretch on infinitely.

"Well this is certainly a change of heart," Mr Mitchell said, peering over his morning coffee with dark-circled eyes as his daughter emerged into the kitchen already dressed for school.

Beca shrugged and continued to stuff her P.E gear and soccer boots into a gym bag.

"I want to get fit."

"Or you just really want that DJ equipment."

"That too," Beca said, biting the corner off her toast and leaving the rest on the bench.

"Chloe's dropping me home tonight so you don't have to worry about getting me."

"And who, pray tell, is that?"

"The coach. She lives about five minutes from here, so. It makes sense."

"That's very kind of her."

"Yeah. She's really nice. Well, see you tonight, dad."

Beca scooped up her gym bag, and for the first time in her high school career, was early to the bus stop.

* * *

"You've been clock watching since this morning. What's got you so anxious?"

Jesse surveyed his best friend as she shoved her English folder into her locker and fished out her Science book.

"I'm not clock watching. And I'm not anxious," Beca said, although she instinctively reached up and fiddled with her ear spike, a habit she had developed in the last couple of years.

"I know you, Bec, and you're anxious about something. Come on. You can tell me."

That flash of annoyance that had made itself present at the soccer trial suddenly reared up again, and Beca closed her locker with a little too much force.

"Relax, Jesse, I'm fine. Why are you always so intent on scrutinizing me? It's not like you're my boyfriend."

Beca immediately wished she could swallow the words back down, but it was too late. She had stung her best friend. She opened her mouth to apologize, knowing she'd overstepped a line, but was cut short.

"You're right. I'm not," he said quietly. Then he turned around without another word.

Beca watched him disappear as the heavy weight of guilt settled on her shoulders.

* * *

In spite of herself, though, Beca was in the changing rooms moments after the end of day bell had rung. She'd made numerous attempts at catching Jesse's attention in class, but it seemed he was too hurt to even look at her. She knew he'd come round eventually. Right?

Beca chose the smaller and much quieter changing room to get into her gear. It wasn't another half hour until most trainings began, so she found herself quite alone.

She was humming and didn't hear the door to the changing room open.

"Dude, woah!" she cried as the sound of someone dropping a gym bag on the floor startled her. Frantically, she covered up her exposed chest with her P.E shorts. This left her bottom half completely naked, spare the simple pair of black underwear she had on.

"Sorry Beca, didn't mean to give you a fright," Chloe smiled. Beca thought to herself Chloe must have made a pointed effort not to graze her eyes over Beca's bare, arctic-white legs.

"How was your day?" Chloe asked the flustered Beca. She unzipped her gym bag and brought out a sports bra, then in one swift movement, removed her t-shirt.

"F-fine," Beca said, swallowing as Chloe's yellow polka dot bra and incredibly toned stomach was revealed. Beca quickly readjusted, managing to slip on her shorts with her back to Chloe, although the image of her coach in that yellow bra wasn't going anywhere in a hurry.

By the time she turned around to ask the same question, Chloe was completely topless, beginning to latch her sports bra around her waist. Chloe seemed completely unperturbed that Beca could see her.

"Yeah," Chloe grinned, noticing Beca's startled gaze. "I'm pretty confident about… all this." She gestured to her torso.

"You should be," Beca said, locking eyes with Chloe and smiling back.

Beca suddenly felt much less self-conscious, and despite making the effort to turn her back to Chloe while she put her own sports bra on, didn't really care if things were visible.

"Ugh, dammit, every time…" Beca groaned. She'd got the straps twisted.

"Oh here, I can fix that," Chloe said. Before Beca even had time to respond, Chloe was standing right in front of her. Wearing only her underwear.

"Thanks," Beca mumbled. She turned away from Chloe slowly and felt the redhead's soft fingers on her back.

"I usually twist mine too," Chloe said quietly.

"Yeah, bloody pain, they are," Beca replied almost inaudibly.

Chloe took her time to carefully untwist Beca's straps. Beca closed her eyes. She could feel Chloe's breath on her neck; the hairs on her body stood on end and she hoped desperately that Chloe hadn't noticed the little bumps erupt over her skin.

When Chloe was finished untwisting, she placed her hands gently on Beca's shoulders and gave them a little tap.

"All done!"

Beca turned around, and found that Chloe was still standing right in front of her, a broad smile spread over her face.

Was she blushing? Beca thought to herself. It was hard to tell. The light wasn't great in the changing room.

Beca bit down on her lip. For a moment she and Chloe just looked at each other. Beca felt her heart rate pick up and wanted nothing more than to stay suspended in the moment, because surely she wasn't imagining -

The door swung open with a crash and Stacie and Fat Amy bounded into the room. Startled, Chloe immediately returned to her gym bag and Beca found herself blinking stupidly at the spot the redhead had just vacated, wondering what the hell had happened.

"Hello, twig bitches!" Fat Amy said loudly, tossing her gym bag onto a bench.

"Glad we're not the only ones that are early," Stacie said, positioning herself next to Chloe and starting to rummage around in her bag for her P.E gear.

Beca made an effort not to look at Chloe again for the rest of the time they were in the changing room. She was sure, if she did, that Chloe would be able to read her thoughts from the look on her face.

* * *

Chloe blew her whistle and the exhausted team gathered around. They had spent the last two hours doing drills, running around the field, and talking about different strategies. They would be playing another social team from an Eastern school in the morning.

"You guys are doing really well. One more drill and we'll call it a night!" Chloe said, pulling the remaining soccer balls out of the netted bag.

"Yesssss," Fat Amy said with a fist-punch to the air.

Beca partnered up with Stacie, and the two of them did as Chloe had instructed; simple kicks back and forth. The idea was to practice both kicking and stopping. The team were spread out across the field.

"Ugh, Beca!" Stacie huffed. Beca had been too busy watching Chloe help Fat Amy that she didn't even notice Stacie had kicked the ball - it went sailing on by, rolling towards the back of the field.

"Sorry Stacie!"

Beca cursed silently and jogged after the ball, hoping that her complete miss would go unnoticed.

It wasn't.

"Beca, hold up!" Chloe called. Beca was just picking up the ball as Chloe caught up with her. They were well out of earshot from the rest of the team.

"A word?" she asked. Beca was immediately convinced she had done something wrong – and obviously this showed on her face.

"Relax, girl. I've got something to ask you."

"Oh?" Beca hugged the soccer ball tightly, in some vain hope that it might make her less awkward in the redhead's presence.

"Tomorrow after the game, the team will be taking a vote for Captain. I know we've only had a couple of practices, but I think you would be great for it."

Beca tried to hold back her laughter.

"Uh, sorry red, but there's not a chance in hell of that happening."

Was that Chloe's idea of a joke?

"I knew you'd say that," said Chloe sheepishly. "Which is why I thought I'd corner you."

"How very kind," Beca said, although a wry smile was also beginning to crease her own lips. Chloe might have well just drafted her on a mission to the Moon.

"No, really. You're one of the few who communicate! I've noticed that you're encouraging. You're definitely a natural leader."

Beca opened her mouth to retort but Chloe held out a single finger.

"I'm not saying that it's yours, but I am saying – just don't be surprised if you get voted in. Just thought I'd let you know."

And with that, Chloe turned on her heel and jogged back to the others. Stacie was sprawled out on the grass with Fat Amy; it looked as if practice was over for them.

Chloe blew her whistle.

"Alright, you lot! Clear out then! See you at 9am tomorrow at Spruce Park. Let's call it a night."

There were a few tired murmurs of thanks, and the team sans Beca began to gather their gear up.

"Oh, wait! Hold on!"

Chloe ran to her gym bag and extracted a small stack of flyers. She handed them around.

"What? A soccer camp?" Fat Amy exclaimed. "In two weeks?"

"Yes," Chloe said. "It's an annual camp. It's pretty fun, actually. It's out at the National Park. It's just for a weekend, but it's a great way to bond as a team and have some friendly games against other schools."

Beca was hovering with cones in her hands, hanging off Chloe's words.

Normally the idea of going on a camp for sport would be laughable to Beca. But for some reason, the idea of spending an entire weekend in the presence of… Beca shook her head as if to shake the thoughts right out of her ears.

"It's not compulsory, but it is fun. Have a think about it and let me know by Wednesday next week so I can give them numbers."

The team disappeared leaving Beca and Chloe quite alone. They made small talk about the game in the morning as they packed up the equipment.

"Chloe, we're quite appalling. We're going to get destroyed tomorrow."

"Nonsense. And so what if you do? It's a grading game. Everyone's going to be terrible. Just have fun."

Beca certainly admired Chloe's ability to just see something like sport as fun. By nature, normally Beca was pretty competitive. It was refreshing to have the pressure to win loosened up a bit.

Chloe closed the boot of her little car once the gear was inside.

"Alrighty, let's get us home," she said. Beca climbed into the passenger's seat of Chloe's Swift. It was tidy and smelled faintly like coconut and vanilla.

"I'm on the corner of 21st Ave," Beca said.

"You're super close to Aubrey and I," Chloe said, reversing out of the carpark. Suddenly the music clicked on and it was Chloe's turn to flush red and fumble; what sounded like a live cover of a song blasted out the speakers.

"Sorry, sorry!" Chloe said, finally getting it to turn off and allow silence to fill the car.

"What was that?" Beca asked, genuinely intrigued. It sounded like a performance of some kind.

"It's nothing, just some group thing I'm in at uni. So, 24th Ave? 21st. You said 21st, didn't you?"

"Don't change the subject!" Beca grinned. "Was that you singing?"

Chloe threw Beca a sideways glance before answering.

"Well… okay, you caught me. Yes and no. See… I'm part of an acapella singing group at Barden. That was our set from finals."

"So you're into music?"

"Yeah. I am."

"Why do you look so embarrassed to be admitting that?" Becca asked.

"I… I don't know, actually," Chloe said, a delicate shade of pink. "You just seem like the kind of girl who… who…"

"The kind of girl who what? Would judge you for being musical?"

"No," Chloe said in a small voice, although the younger girl could hear the shadow of doubt in her reply.

"Because I'll have you know right now that I was in a choir right the way through elementary school. With cloaks and everything."

Chloe laughed and Beca felt her chest flutter.

"You're every bit the dork I am, then" Chloe said. Then, after making sure the volume was right down this time, turned the music back on.

"This is neat," Beca said. Then she was struck down by possibly the most brilliant idea she'd ever had.

"Hey. I'm… sort of into music as well. Actually, that's a lie, I'm really into music. We should collaborate sometime."

"You are? Yeah! What are you into?"

"I muck around with a lot of DJ stuff. At the moment I'm just using some shitty software, but hopefully I'll be getting better stuff soon."

"See, now that's badass," Chloe said. "I'm fascinated by that. Will you show me how it works?"

Beca was taken aback by Chloe's enthusiasm.

"Of course."

Beca bit her lip before she continued. Her heart thumped in her chest as the mere idea of suggesting it filled her mind.

"What are your plans for the evening?"

"Well, Aubrey's got dinner waiting for me at home. And I'm dying to have a shower."

"Oh. Okay, that's cool, some other time" –

"But I could always come around after? Say, eight-ish?"

"Yeah, of course," Beca said, hardly believing her luck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Dad? Dad, are you home?"

Beca stumbled inside. The lights were off and the house was silent. Dropping her things at the entrance, she illuminated the kitchen and saw a note on the counter.

_Hi Bec,_

_Having drinks after work with colleagues tonight. There's some dinner for you in the fridge. Shouldn't be too late._

_Dad_

Beca could barely contain her elation at her dad's note. She had an empty house! And Chloe was coming over, to visit her. To check out her music.

First, though, Beca needed to tidy up. Her room was a total mess. Clothes all over the floor, an unmade bed, as well as some stray plates and cups that were a result of her late night Internet escapades.

She spent the next hour getting herself and her room to a presentable state, then managed to eat some of the leftover dinner. But she found her appetite was virtually non-existent.

Beca had a sneaking suspicion, too, that her dad wouldn't actually come back until the morning. He'd surely go and visit Sheila afterwards. Beca's parents had separated a few years back; the system was winter at dad's, summer at mom's. Her older brother had already left home when they split – the result being that Beca had to do a lot of mediating in the family.

She didn't like to talk about it and didn't like Sheila. Beca knew it was only a matter of time before they'd want to move in together, and she hoped to high hell it'd be once she'd graduated. Sheila had three young kids that didn't treat Beca with a lot of respect.

At seven-thirty, Beca was on her laptop upstairs when her mobile rang.

"Oh, _fuck."_

She had completely forgot about what she'd said to Jesse that day.

With a new wave of guilt, she reluctantly put her ear to the receiver.

"Hey Jesse."

"Hi Bec."

Silence.

"What's up?" Beca asked, scolding herself for wishing he had called earlier. (Or, and she hated herself for thinking it, that he hadn't called at all.) Chloe wouldn't be too far away.

"Look… about today. You're right. I do need to stop acting like you're my girlfriend."

Beca rubbed her forehead. She didn't want to be having this conversation right now.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"I do, though. You're my best friend in the world and I can tell you've had something on your mind. I guess I stupidly thought it might be…"

His voice trailed off.

"Be what?"

"Nothing."

"No, Jesse, what? You thought it might be what?"

Jesse sighed.

"Why don't you come over and we can talk. I've got some movies out. And popcorn. We can discuss all that… stuff."

"I can't. Not tonight sorry."

"Why? I thought you didn't have plans after training?"

The sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the house.

"I'm sorry Jesse, but I have to go. Can we do this another time?"

The doorbell rang out again. Beca started to head downstairs; by the outside light, she could make out a redheaded figure through the frosted glass.

"Are you having someone over?" Jesse asked. His voice was strained.

"I'm doing music stuff tonight. I'll see you at school, okay?"

"Alright. Night."

Click. He hung up. Beca was torn for the briefest of moments; she knew she had just dealt another blow to her best friend.

And yet, all thoughts of Jesse completely evaporated the moment Beca opened the front door.

"Hey," Chloe said with a smile. "Sorry I'm early. I brought some wine with me. I hope your parents won't mind?"

Chloe held up a deep red bottle as Beca stepped back to let her in.

"They're not here. This is my dad's house… my mom lives on the other side of town. Dad's out with colleagues tonight."

"Oh, neat. Well – not neat that they're not together, that must really suck. It's just neat that we can have the wine, right?"

Beca couldn't decipher if Chloe was nervous or whether she was just making conversation. After all, the two were still relatively new friends. Beca wasn't that great at dealing with new people at the best of times, let alone a girl like Chloe. She found her both terrifyingly intimidating, while also sweet and approachable. Was that even possible?

She retrieved two wine glasses and Chloe poured the blood-red liquid. Beca hadn't ever really had wine – at least not casually, but after taking a sip, thought she could get used to it.

Chloe took off her jacket and took a seat at the counter.

"You know, I don't normally do this," Chloe admitted, taking a swig of wine.

When Beca looked puzzled, Chloe elaborated.

"You know. Go over to a house of someone who's effectively a student of mine…"

"You're my soccer coach, not my Catholic Priest," Beca laughed. The wine was carving a warm path down to her stomach and despite having taken only two sips, she felt slightly more relaxed. She joined Chloe at the counter.

"Yeah, if I was your Catholic Priest, I'd have a lot to say about those spikes in your ears."

"Are you kidding? This is all the Priestly rage right now," Beca said in a posh accent, twirling her spikes.

The sound of Chloe laughing made Beca's insides twist.

The two continued the joke about Priestly fashions for a few minutes, and somewhere during the conversation, they'd moved closer together so that their knees were touching. When Beca became conscious of this, she downed the rest of the wine in one go. Chloe followed suit and then made to pour more.

"So, Chloe Beale," Beca said. "Why this student then, hm? Why not Stacie or Fat Amy?"

"I don't know," Chloe said, setting down the bottle. Then she leant right forward so that their faces were barely an inch apart, with a smile that went all the way up to her blue eyes.

"I can just tell we're going to be fast friends."

Beca had to reign control over every muscle in her body to stop herself from leaning forward to seal the gap. But almost as quickly as Chloe's face was there, it was gone again, taking another sip of wine.

"I've just been having a lot of drama at uni. That acapella group I was telling you about? The Barden Bella's, they're called. Things are just tense. I need to have friends outside of that. You know?"

"Sure," Beca said. Her head was beginning to cloud from the wine.

"To be honest, I don't really have a lot of friends. Pretty much just Jesse. And even that…"

"Oh?" Chloe said, her attention pricking up even more. "Are you two _really_ not dating?"

"No, god, no," Beca said, shaking her head. "Although… I think he wants it to be more. I just… I don't like him like that. He's the best friend I've ever had, but I'm not capable of crossing that line. No way."

"Is there someone else?"

Chloe's eyes flashed and Beca was caught off guard.

How could she answer that? If she said yes – Chloe might get the wrong idea. If she said no – Chloe might get the wrong idea. Beca could feel the cogs in her brain straining.

"It's… complex."

_There. That's neither yes or no._

"How so?"

_Dammit. _

"Uh… well… I don't suppose you're asking me this because you like Jesse?" Beca tried, hoping that would be enough to curb the actual question.

"No, no, nothing like that," Chloe said. "Just wondering. So, are you going seduce me with your music now, or am I going to have to keep waiting?"

It was a throwaway comment but at the word 'seduce', Beca realised that trying to find out if Chloe shared an attraction wasn't going to be easy. Perhaps she was just a naturally flirty person? What if this was the way she behaved with all of her friends?

"Alright, then. Come into my Chamber of Secrets."

Chloe giggled. The two girls grabbed their wine and Beca lead Chloe upstairs, her heart thumping and her head swimming from the alcohol. She put it down straight away on her desk, thinking she had better lay off for a bit.

"Oh, cool!" Chloe exclaimed. Beca raised her eyebrows.

"I have that exact one," Chloe exclaimed, pointing to a large David Guetta poster that was stuck to the wardrobe.

"Really? You know David Guetta?"

"Have I been living under a rock? Yeah! That song 'Titanium.' It's my jam. My _lady jam_," Chloe said with smirk.

"Your _what_?"

"My lady jam. The song really builds."

Chloe winked. Beca picked up the wine and finished it off in one go.

"Wow. You're thirsty, aren't you? Do you want more?"

Beca turned her back to her coach, bringing up her DJ software on her computer. But it was really just to disguise the fact she was doing her best to fend off images of the redhead _ladyjamming_.

"No more wine for me just yet. Are you trying to get me drunk or something?"

"Ha, no. Wouldn't want you to be hung over at your first soccer game."

Chloe set her wine down next to Beca's empty glass. She positioned herself so she could see the screen; she was close enough so that when Beca moved the mouse, her arm grazed Chloe's. It sent little electric waves down her spine. What was it about this woman?

"Well, funny you should mention Titanium. I'm working on a mix of that song."

She opened the project and handed over her headphones, then hit 'play'.

Chloe started bobbing her head along to the beat.

"This is really good!" she said too loudly. Beca blushed at the compliment.

"Seriously, I love it! Will you make me a CD?"

The DJ in training nodded, taking a seat on her bed.

The wine had taken a firm grip on Beca now, and she couldn't help but let her eyes wander over Chloe's figure. Her hair, her neck, the way her hips were swaying ever so slightly in time with the music.

She flopped backwards on her bed.

_As if a girl like Chloe would be interested in me._

It was a depressing thought that was not aided by the alcohol. But Chloe Beale was a beautiful girl – woman – who was already at university, was going places. Beca was just an eighteen-year-old wannabe DJ. At least, those were the thoughts she was entertaining in her mind.

Beca proceeded to let Chloe listen to more mixes. She talked about the process of making them, why she liked certain songs, and all the while her redheaded companion listened and seemed to ask all the right questions.

After well over an hour of talking about music (the bottle of wine was almost finished), Beca lay back down on her bed. She felt quite drunk and her pessimistic thoughts were starting to creep back.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The mix Chloe was listening to had finished and she looked down at her new friend, a hint of worry creased into her forehead.

"Yeah. I'm fine. The wine," Beca mumbled, careful not to look right at her coach. Who, to Beca's frustration, climbed onto the bed to join her. She sure wasn't making it easy.

"Those mixes are awesome. Honestly, you're talented."

How was Beca going to cope for an entire season? She was going to have to quit the soccer team and just settle with her current shitty software. Save up herself for the DJ equipment that would surely take her a year to get her hands on… because there was no way she could stand being around Chloe without feeling like this all the time. The fluttery stomach. The constant chills and the sweaty palms. All for someone that'd probably never feel the same.

"You know," Chloe said quietly. Beca rolled onto her side and reluctantly looked at the girl who was now sitting mere inches from her.

"I'd be disappointed if I was Jesse."

_Um. What did she just say?_

Beca propped herself up on her elbow and locked eyes with Chloe who, for some strange reason, had a rather pained expression on her face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Beca blurted out.

"Well, I can see why he'd be in love with you," Chloe said casually, reaching over and grabbing the last of her wine. She swilled it around the bottom of the glass, avoiding Beca's stare.

"Sheesh, I'm really feeling this," Chloe admitted after she finished it off in a single gulp.

"Me too. And... when it comes to Jesse, he probably just likes me because… well. I don't even know for sure if he does."

Chloe looked at Beca incredulously.

"Alright, okay. Yes. I think he does like me, which as I said, is really awkward. But I don't understand why he – or anyone for that matter – would have feelings for me."

"You're joking, right?" Chloe said. She moved up the bed and lay down on her side so that the two were face to face.

"Um, no, I'm not."

"Come on. I've only known you for a few days and yet… it totally seems like it's been way longer. You're funny and weird and I'll be honest, that Titanium mix totally got me in the mood. So… like I said. I'd be disappointed if I was Jesse."

Beca swallowed.

"You don't even know me," Beca whispered.

"I want to, though," Chloe replied. Every nerve in Beca's body ignited as the redhead moved closer so that their bodies were almost, but not quite, touching.

It was the most loaded gaze Beca had ever experienced in her life. And it seemed to go on and on, neither one of them blinking. The DJ had never been so overwhelmed with a desire to kiss someone; but fear held her captor in her own body. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kiss the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. She was terrified.

The only sound was the two of them breathing. Beca's was harsh and shallow, Chloe's slow and deep. The redhead suddenly closed her eyes, and Beca knew what it meant.

As if on autopilot, Beca started moving inwards. She brought her forehead to a mere millimetre from Chloe's, hovering, savouring the vanilla and coconut scent. Beca closed her eyes too. They were nose to nose.

Then Chloe closed the gap between their foreheads and Beca thought she might blow an artery; her heart was beating so fast and so hard that she could feel it pressing against her chest. They stayed like this, suspended.

Beca felt a hand come to rest softly on her waist. She returned the gesture, and – she couldn't have stopped herself, even if she wanted to – moved her torso that inch closer so that their bodies were now completely in contact. Chloe shifted her leg up, slightly, so that it slid between Beca's. They were entwined.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Chloe whispered, her breath warm on Beca's lips.

"Me either," Beca replied, her eyes still firmly shut.

And so they stayed like that, for how long, Beca wasn't sure. She didn't dare move. She didn't dare disrupt what was the most perfect position she'd ever been in.

And it seemed, Chloe didn't want to move either.

* * *

Beca woke. It was dawn. She stretched out, yawning, still in that semi-state between being asleep and awake.

_Chloe._

"Chloe?" Beca said aloud, snapping into reality. She sat up. Her bed was empty. There wasn't a single trace of the redhead's presence anywhere.

Confusion, desperation and then anger bubbled up from the pit of her stomach. She'd just left? In the middle of the night, without waking her? Or had Beca merely dreamed the encounter?

As this terrifying alternative took hold of her, she breathed a sigh of relief. There were two empty wine glasses beside her computer.

Of course it wasn't a dream.

Glancing at the time, she saw she was late for soccer. Her heart still beating the same tune, she fetched her soccer boots from downstairs and left for the game.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Beca was confused. She was supposed to be catching a ride with Chloe to the game! Where the hell had she disappeared to in the middle of the night?

The bus she had to settle for finally pulled up to the grounds; she saw her team running laps around the closest field. There were four in total, and coaches, teams, family and friends surrounded each one. Beca scanned the perimeter and sure enough, there was Chloe by one of the goals. She looked like she was having a heated conversation with that blonde girl from the day she signed up for the team – Aubrey, was it?

Beca's head throbbed from the wine as she trudged towards the redhead, but she ignored it. She wanted an answer.

"Yo, Beca, come warm up!" Cynthia Rose called out from the other side of the field.

"Just a sec!"

At the sound of Beca's voice, Chloe turned around. Her expression was hardened; her lips were tight and her eyes were wide. But the blonde girl looked absolutely livid about something - and upon being interrupted, folded her arms across her chest and glared at the young DJ. Beca opened her mouth but was stopped short.

"You're late. Go and warm up with the team."

Chloe's voice was like ice. There was no hint of the soft, gentle woman that she had fallen asleep with last night.

"I'm only late because you were supposed" –

"You need to warm up before the game. You'll be on in five minutes. You'll pull something if you don't stretch."

"Chloe, what -?"

"I've already told you, you guys have to call me 'coach.' Now hurry up!"

Beca clenched her jaw and turned on her heel. She tore her jacket off and threw it to the ground near her teams' gear. But just as she was about to run over and join the others, she caught something the blonde said – and instinctively stopped and knelt down, pretending to tie her shoelaces.

"I'm not ready to give up. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry? People make mistakes!" Aubrey said in a low hiss.

"You don't get to say that, Bre. You expect me to want to hang around after what you did?" Chloe replied, equally furious. "Then to have the nerve to corner me in public…"

"Tell me where you were last night."

"I was at my mom's. Now leave me alone. My things will be out of the house by the end of the weekend. And don't you even _think_…"

Chloe lowered her voice even further. Beca couldn't hear anything else, and she didn't want to – she jumped to her feet and ran after her team, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

* * *

It was a closer game than she'd expected, and Beca had vowed to herself she wouldn't look at Chloe at all. Every time the coach addressed them, Beca would determinately stare at the ground. Even when Chloe spoke to her directly, giving her tactical advice or even a piece of encouragement – Beca made sure not to make eye contact. She wasn't about to have some kind of emotional stint on the soccer field surrounded by people.

"Well done, everyone, that was a great game. You should be proud of yourselves!"

Chloe was handing everyone orange slices. The team was exhausted, muddy, and in desperate need of a shower.

"But we lost," Stacie said grimly.

"Doesn't matter. With a bit of work, you guys could actually become a pretty formidable team. Now, I've got something to announce."

Beca couldn't help it. She looked up from her drink bottle and for the most fleeting of moments made eye contact with the redhead, who promptly looked away.

"I'd like to congratulate Fat Amy on making Captain!" Chloe said proudly. There was a smattering of applause from the tired team.

"I'd like to thank my cat for this honour…" Fat Amy grinned, taking a little blue badge from Chloe.

Beca was well and truly confused now. Chloe had said there was supposed to be a vote? It's not that she cared she wasn't Captain – it was more that she felt as though she'd been lied to. On multiple accounts. And she did not like that at all.

"Okay, do a couple of laps to warm down, and I'll see you all on Wednesday," Chloe said, collecting the remaining oranges.

Out the corner of her eye, Beca saw Aubrey storming towards the car park, her team following behind. They must have just finished their game too. Before climbing into her vehicle, she threw Chloe a tumultuous look and then disappeared.

Beca made her way to the bus stop, her limbs heavy and her gaze directed firmly at the ground. She wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball on the floor of her shower and wash away all thoughts of her coach, the feeling of Chloe's body against hers... lost in thought, it took her a few moments to notice the sound of rapid footsteps coming her way.

"Beca, wait!"

Chloe. Beca ignored the plea that met her ears and quickened her pace, determined not to have a confrontation. It was more than she could deal with.

"_Beca!_"

Chloe caught up. She grabbed the younger girl's shoulder and spun her around.

"What do you want from me?" Beca snapped, her voice cracking a fraction. She couldn't avoid those blue eyes even if she had tried.

"To explain."

"Fine. Fine, go ahead and tell me why you" –

"I can't here."

Chloe looked cautiously around her to make sure nobody was watching.

"I want you to know right now that I'm not – I'm not a toy or a game, or" –

"I know, Beca! Please. I can't do this here. Can I come and see you later?"

Chloe's voice was a desperate whisper.

Beca searched the redheads face for something, anything, to detect a hint of dishonesty. But she looked genuine.

Beca sighed.

"Fine."

Then without another word, Beca left the soccer grounds and did exactly as she had wanted earlier – curled up on the floor of her shower.

* * *

"Sorry I couldn't make it to your game, Bec. Sheila took me along to the twins' hockey match."

"Whatever. We lost anyway."

Beca collapsed onto the sofa in the lounge. Her legs ached something fierce.

"Uh… Is everything okay? I found a bottle of wine on the counter this morning. You're not… drinking alone, are you?"

"What? Dude, no!"

"Where did it come from?"

"I… had some of the soccer girls over last night. I tided up but I must have forgotten that minor detail," Beca invented wildly.

When Mr Mitchell didn't say anything, Beca looked up. To her utter surprise he was smiling.

"Bec, I'm proud of you for joining that team. I promise I'll be at your match next weekend, you just give me the time of the game. And if you need any wine coolers or – classy Pinot, seeing as you apparently have a taste for finer alcohol – I'll help out. I'm glad you're making new friends."

With that piece of sentiment, Mr Mitchell gave an awkward fatherly-smile and disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Beca feeling thoroughly miffed.

Shaking her head, she stretched out on the couch and fell into a strange sleep.

Beca awoke sometime later to a buzzing in her pocket. Groggily, she pulled it out and stared wide-eyed at the screen.

_I'm outside. Can I take you for a drive?_

It was a number she didn't recognize but she was willing to bet she knew exactly who it was. She didn't waste a moment in getting up and making a beeline for the front door.

"Just going out for a bit, dad. See you later!"

"Okay, Bec. Be back in time for dinner," came Mr Mitchell's voice from his study.

Beca took a deep breath and opened the door. Sure enough, there was Chloe parked at the end of the driveway in her Swift. She gave Beca a small wave.

"I'm so sorry, Beca," the redhead said the moment she was joined in the car. "You must be wondering what the hell my deal is."

"Yeah. You could say that."

An awkward silence settled over the two, neither able to continue the conversation. After a few uncomfortable moments, Chloe started the car and pulled out of the driveway. Beca still couldn't look right at her.

"I thought… maybe we could go to the lake?"

"Sure."

They drove for a few minutes, still in silence. Then, to her utter surprise, Beca heard a small sniff from beside her.

"Sorry," Chloe murmured, wiping her eyes.

Before Beca could stop herself, she was reaching out her hand – and resting it on top of Chloe's. She was stunned by her own action; it was almost automatic. To her continued surprise, Chloe turned her hand palm up, then linked her fingers in Beca's.

* * *

They pulled up at the edge of the lake. A soft breeze was creating tiny waves on its surface; there was nobody except a woman in the distance walking her dog. Beca had been to this lake plenty of times; her and Jesse used to spend hours at the water's edge, talking about not much in particular.

As if under a silent agreement, the two got out of the car and began walking the deserted path that lead around the lake. It was a beautiful afternoon.

"So... you kind of owe me an explanation," Beca said, her eyes on the surface of the lake. The sun was casting long shadows from the nearby trees and in the distance, the sound of the afternoon traffic was humming.

Chloe sighed.

"I… didn't expect that we would… that I would… um. We have a, we've got an, um…"

"Connection?" Beca tried.

"Yeah. We have a connection," Chloe agreed awkwardly.

"But there's something going on with that blonde, right? Aubrey?"

"No, there's not," Chloe said, stopping short on the path. She turned and faced Beca, who did the same.

"We broke up months ago. It was in the middle of exams and I couldn't move out. I just shifted into another room of the house."

Beca remained quiet.

"Aubrey's not the issue. She knows that I'll never take her back. She can try as hard as she likes, but she betrayed me."

Beca's heart was thumping in the way that only the girl in front of her could make it do.

"Then… what's the issue?"

"If my university finds out I'm having a relationship with a student, I'll be kicked out."

Beca didn't know what to say to that. Chloe had just said the words 'relationship' and 'kicked out' in the same sentence. Both caused the DJ to feel something rather conflicting.

Her first instinct was to quit the team. If she quit, she could potentially date Chloe and everything would be okay. But she already knew that being part of the Kickers was about a lot more than just soccer. As if reading her mind, Chloe addressed the thought.

"And you can't leave the team. So don't even suggest that."

"But what if I want to be with you?" Beca blurted out.

"You're still a student! You're at high school! I could get in so much trouble…"

"Nobody has to know," Beca said quietly, taking a step closer to the redhead.

"I felt awful having to snap at you this morning at the game," Chloe said, equally as softly. "But if Aubrey had any inkling, she'd tell the dean. She's like that. And I couldn't elect you as Captain, obviously..."

"Nobody has to know," Beca whispered again. She was inches away from her coach once again. Her blue eyes were glassy and wide, searching the face of the girl right in front of her.

"I don't know what it is about you… I just know that I want to… know you entirely," Chloe murmured. Beca could feel her breath on her lips again.

"Nobody has to know," the DJ said for a third time.

Chloe lifted her hand and brushed Beca's hair behind her ear. Then, as if the whole world was slowing to a stop, she leant forward. Beca felt the softest lips touch hers.

The DJ's stomach gave an almighty _whoosh_. The kiss was gentle, intimate, and she never wanted it to end. She put her hands around the redhead's waist and pulled her even closer.

At the tight body contact, the kiss began to intensify. Hands began to roam, tongues began to explore, and Beca was completely lost in what she had already decided was the most passionate make-out of her life.

After a few minutes, Beca knew she had to resurface. They were in danger of taking their clothes off in public.

"Woah," Chloe muttered, her arms still around the DJ's neck.

"Woah is right," Beca agreed, a smile on her lips that she thought might ever go away.

"What are we going to do?" Chloe asked softly.

"I don't know. I guess we just… act like nothing is going on? I've only got a year left of school. Then it won't matter."

Chloe's face fell a little.

"Have you… ever dated a someone in secret before?"

"Er… not exactly," Beca said.

"Keeping a relationship under wraps isn't easy. I've been there, and it's… it's really hard. I just want you to know that."

But in that moment, Beca didn't care how hard it would be. All she knew was that she'd do anything to make sure they could be together.

She only hoped Chloe felt the same.


	6. Chapter 6

The next week and a half passed and Beca floated along in a semi dream-state. Her days were filled with school, soccer, and Chloe – who had finally moved out of Aubrey's house and was now living in a new cosy flat near the lake.

Both were busy. Chloe's university schedule was hectic, and Beca's final year of school was proving to be more demanding than she had expected. Thankfully, it provided plenty of excuses for Beca not to be alone with Jesse, who was becoming more distant and snarky than ever.

Mr Mitchell had also noticed a change in his daughter. No longer was she spending copious amounts of time holed up in her bedroom – she was out and about with her soccer team, studying for upcoming tests, and her usual snappy tone had been replaced by a more witty and cheeky rapport.

It was Friday afternoon. Beca had emerged into the house muddy and exhausted after training; Chloe had dropped her off and was planning to come back over later to take her out for dessert. Upon hearing her arrive, Mr Mitchell went to help relieve her of the several large bags she had draped over her small frame.

"Hey Bec, how was training?"

"Good. Exhausting. But I think we're actually getting better. Fat Amy scored a goal with her head today when we were practicing."

"That's exciting."

"It was, actually, until she got so excited she slipped in the mud and sprained her ankle. Which isn't going to be ideal, because we've got the soccer camp tomorrow."

"Ah, yes. The camp. Seeing as you'll be away for the weekend, I was wondering if you'd like to go into the city this evening? We could have dinner?"

"That sounds great, dad, but I've got a test on Monday. I don't think I'm going to get another chance to study for it. Jesse is taking me out for ice-cream tonight –"

"I thought maybe we could go and have a look at that DJ equipment."

Beca stopped short and looked up at her dad incredulously.

"What?"

"Well, I've noticed a positive change in you since you started soccer. I'm impressed. I've called the store, they're open late tonight because it's Friday, so unless you'd rather study –"

Beca pulled her boots off at warp speed and hauled herself upstairs despite her aching muscles.

"I'll be ready in ten minutes!" she called out.

* * *

Beca swallowed as a battle in her head took place. For the last couple of weeks, she had struggled not to bring up her girlfriend's name at the dinner table or include her in the description of her day. Chloe was a part of her life now, and Beca wanted to talk about her – but knew that her dad probably wouldn't understand and would discourage their relationship. As a result, she often found herself biting her tongue and substituting Chloe's name with Jesse's. It wasn't easy. But, she decided it was probably safe to ask the question she was debating in her mind, and before she could stop herself, her mouth was forming the words.

"Hey dad," Beca said casually as Mr Mitchell adjusted his jacket.

"Mhm?"

"Reckon my friend Chloe could come along for the ride? She's into music as well, and we've talked about checking out the store together sometime. I think there's some stuff she's looking for."

"Sure, not a problem," Mr Mitchell said without batting an eyelid. "How far away does she live?"

"Oh, like, ten minutes from here," Beca said, startled by his ambivalence. It suddenly occurred to her that not every parent would have a 'my-child-is-in-a-secret-lesbian-relationship' default setting. In fact, Beca had been so careful, Mr Mitchell had to double check who Chloe even was.

"My soccer coach," Beca answered.

"Ah. That's the one. You, uh, don't want Jesse to come along instead…?"

Mr Mitchell raised his eyebrows and gave a wink.

"Um, no, dad," Beca said, momentarily grossed out by what his dad was implying.

"Bec, come on. You spend a lot of time with him. After soccer trainings, on the weekend… you now I don't have a problem with you seeing boys, Bec. Especially Jesse. He's a catch."

Beca looked up from her text message that she was midway through writing. _I don't have a problem with you seeing boys. _Boys.

She could definitely see why her dad would assume they were a couple… perhaps she'd used Jesse just a little too much in her explanation of her after school and weekend whereabouts. But she was sure she mentioned Stacie and Fat Amy, too? Or was that another example of a parent not thinking anything suspicious of a female friend?

She decided she would test the waters with that thought.

"I hang out with Stacie pretty much the same amount as I hang out with Jesse. And you don't see me dating her."

Beca looked her dad in the eye.

"I'm just saying," Mr Mitchell said defensively, holding up his hands and making sure he had his wallet. He hadn't taken the bait.

"Now, is Chloe coming? Are we ready to go?"

Beca's phone buzzed as if on cue.

_That's so exciting! I'm really happy for you that you're finally getting the gear. And I'd love to come. But are you sure it's not going to be to… weird? With your dad?_

"We're good to go," Beca said, and she and her dad got into the car and began the detour to pick up Chloe.

_It won't be weird. He doesn't have any suspicion. Nobody does. See you in ten minutes. X_

* * *

While Beca could sleep relatively sound at night knowing that she and Chloe had covered their tracks, there was something heavy that was beginning to settle in the pit of her stomach. Introducing Chloe as merely her 'coach and music friend' didn't sound right. It didn't feel right. She wished there was somebody she could talk to and share all her new experiences with, somebody that she could trust. Jesse was the last person she would want to tell; his feelings for her were still evident. And how could she open up to the girls on her team? If any one of them was homophobic, or a loud mouth, Chloe could find herself getting kicked out of University. Beca didn't want that.

But she also didn't want to keep everyone in the dark about the girl she was falling in love with.

"Earth to Beca," Mr Mitchell said, waving a hand in front of his daughter's face. Beca snapped out of her depth of thought and was brought back to reality; she was in the car with her dad and her secret girlfriend and they were driving to the city to buy DJ equipment.

"Sorry dad, I missed that last bit. What did you say?"

"I said, that Chloe goes to Barden University. I thought I recognized her! You enjoy it, don't you Chloe?"

"I do. It's a great school," Chloe said from the back seat. In the rear view mirror, Beca could see her beautiful coach smiling at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. She wanted to reach behind her and grab her hand, or touch her knee. Something.

"See, Bec. I'm not the only one who thinks Barden is great! You know, I think you'd be a fool not to apply," Mr Mitchell said with a sideways glance at his daughter, who was still smiling stupidly at the mirror.

"Oh – ah, yeah, maybe I will apply," Beca said, blushing and diverting her attention out the window instead. The sun was setting. It reminded Beca of the countless kisses she and Chloe had already shared by the lake at sunset. Was there anything, now, that didn't remind her of the redhead?

* * *

Beca's mind found some relief when they entered the music store. It was the largest in the city; wall to wall with guitars, keyboards, PA equipment, microphones and, of course, DJ equipment.

Beca already knew exactly what she needed. The last two years had been leading up to this, and she'd done every bit of research she could. Thankfully, she also had a significant amount of savings from her holiday job at the café – Mr Mitchell almost had kittens when he saw the hefty price tag.

"Jeez, Bec, you sure picked an expensive hobby," Mr Mitchell said. Beca quickly offered to pay what she could, but her father waved away her attempt.

"Consider it an early birthday present. And Christmas present. And… graduation present," he said with a grim smile.

"Thanks, dad. You honestly have no idea how much this means to me," Beca said genuinely.

"Okay, well you can keep looking around if you want while I handle all this financial business," Mr Mitchell said with a nod to the sales assistant. Beca turned around searched the store for Chloe, spotting her red hair over by the acoustic guitars.

"Surprise," Beca whispered, grabbing her girlfriend by the waist for a fleeting moment.

"Hello, you," Chloe grinned. Checking to see nobody was watching, she leant forward and whispered into Beca's ear.

"I am going to kiss you… here," she touched the DJ's neck gently.

"Here..." she grazed her finger down Beca's chest.

"And… _here_." Beca's body jolted as Chloe's hand found it's way between her legs. "Just as soon as I get you alone," Chloe added with a cheeky smile.

"Chloe, we're in public!" Beca hissed, although she too was grinning.

Beca's knees went weak as she imagined the redhead doing exactly what had just been described to her. She wanted nothing more than to sweep up the older woman in a flurry of kisses and frenzied touches.

In the five minutes that followed while Mr Mitchell was sorting out the payment, the two continued to wander the store, secretly making contact and exchanging loaded glances. By the time they were ready to leave, Beca's body was practically on fire.

"And you'll have to wait all weekend before you can use it!" Mr Mitchell exclaimed as they packed the equipment into the car.

At least, Beca thought cheekily to herself, she wouldn't have to wait all weekend to get her hands on Chloe. Because in the morning, the two would be off to soccer camp, and there would surely be opportunities to sneak off together.

They'd be careful, of course… so what could possibly go wrong?


	7. Chapter 7

Beca wished she could get out the car and give her girlfriend a kiss goodnight. Instead, she had to settle for a, "see you tomorrow," which didn't feel at all adequate.

"She's nice. Isn't she?" Mr Mitchell commented as he and his daughter continued on their way.

Beca made a noise of approval.

"If you end up going to Barden next year, it'll be great to already have some friends. Sounds like Chloe would be more than happy to show you the ropes."

"Yeah," Beca said, half-listening. When her dad fell silent she suddenly felt bad for her disinterest; Mr Mitchell had just spent a significantly large amount of money on her. He was reaching out to her. Putting aside her thoughts of Chloe, she made the effort to talk to him about Barden for the rest of the journey home.

Beca set up the DJ equipment in her bedroom as soon as they arrived. She marvelled at the digital turntable, the array of different knobs and buttons illuminated by LED back lighting, and was thrilled with the new software. She wished she'd have more time to fiddle around with it. Beca knew that her mixes were going to become A-Grade once she'd got the hang of the new stuff.

Before settling down to sleep, she packed her bag for camp and decided to give Chloe a quick call to say goodnight.

"I was just thinking about you," Chloe said through a smile. "How's the new gear?"

"Freakin' stellar," Beca replied, switching out her lamp and making sure she kept her voice low. Her dad's room was just across the hall.

"Thanks for coming tonight. You seriously know how to get a girl in the mood," Beca said, wishing Chloe was there beside her.

"You make it easy for me," Chloe replied. "Hey... before we get to the camp, I just wanted to give you a heads up."

"Yeah?"

"We're going to have to be extra careful. Aubrey will be there. Other people from my class will be there with their teams. There will be P.E teachers… I just don't want you to get offended when I have to treat you like everybody else."

"I understand," Beca sighed, and she did. But that didn't mean she liked it.

There was silence for a few moments.

"Do people at Barden know you're gay?"

"They do. But I don't make a big deal about it, so other people don't make a big deal about it. I think they _would_ make a big deal about it, though, if they found out I was dating a high-schooler. Who was on my team."

"But I'm not just _any_ high-schooler," Beca protested, stung.

"I know, Bec, I know. But I can't afford to run the risk. I really like you and I want to see where this goes… Let's just not get too ahead of ourselves. It's early days."

"Alright. You're right," Beca sighed.

"Now, as your coach, I'm telling you to get a good sleep… you're going to need it. I lo – I, uh, will see you tomorrow."

Beca's face had exploded into a grin. "Yeah, you will," Beca said, feeling her face grow hotter. They hung up and she buried her face into her pillow, her insides doing a little dance after the words Chloe had almost let slip.

* * *

Beca had expected a lot of people, but she definitely hadn't anticipated the sheer number of girls and boys that were filing in to the National Park. The soccer camp had attracted people from all over the state, and Beca couldn't help but feel excited as the torrent of students laughed and greeted friends from other schools.

The camp was at the foot of a large mountain covered in dense forest. Six soccer fields spanned across a huge expanse of grass, and framing them, were the dormitories that would house all the students.

"Is this bloody brilliant, or what!?" Fat Amy exclaimed, still limping a bit from her run-in with the mud the previous night.

Beca nodded and opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Stacie - who was gawping at a group of boys jogging past without their shirts on.

"Did you _see_ that guy's body? This place is heaven on earth. Why didn't I play soccer until now?"

Fat Amy laughed and Beca quietly shared the same sentiments (for entirely other reasons, of course). Chloe was leading her team to the left side of the fields where the girls' dormitories were.

"Okay, everyone, here we are! This is our dorm. From what I remember, it's a pretty tight fit, but there should be enough beds for everyone."

Chloe extracted her key and opened the door, and the team pushed through and began claiming bunks. Stacie was midway up a little ladder that lead to a loft when Chloe stopped her.

"Uh, uh! That's reserved for coaches! Nice try," she grinned, and Stacie jumped back down with a scowl, settling for a bottom bunk near the door.

Beca found herself on a top bunk that was just below the loft; Fat Amy was underneath her. Beca and Chloe exchanged a few glances as they unpacked, but remembering how important it was to remain as casual as possible, Beca made a pointed effort to keep a distance.

After settling in, the team headed off to the cafeteria for a welcome from the camp organizers. Protected by a swarm of students, Beca thought it'd be safe enough to graze Chloe's fingers with her own. But the DJ was met by a jerked wrist and a tiny headshake; even this, it seemed, was too much.

* * *

It was a full-on day. Beca didn't have to worry about giving anything away with Chloe – she was working them relentlessly. A rotational system had the teams doing drills on one field, skills on another, mini-games on the third, an obstacle-like course on the fourth, strategy-building on the fifth, and capture the flag on the sixth. The next day of the camp was going to be dedicated entirely to a tournament between all the students.

By the time Beca and the rest of the team had collapsed into bed after dinner, there didn't seem to be much room for stolen glances or sly touches. Beca fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The second day dawned and Beca's body ached; muscles she didn't even know she had were stiff and uncomfortable. But Chloe had them up and about before seven for breakfast, and then it was time for the tournament to begin.

Beca was surprised when the Kickers won their first game. When they won their second, she was somewhat incredulous. But her excitement was quelled when she saw who the third game would be against; Aubrey's team.

Beca watched as the uptight blonde tried to force conversation with the redhead, who looked frustrated by her attempts and kept walking away. Beca had to resist a strong urge to walk over and tell Aubrey exactly where she could go, but knew any kind of outburst would be a disaster for Chloe. Quietly fuming, the two teams gathered on the field to wait for the starting whistle. Beca's team had red bands around their wrists and Aubrey's team had blue.

"You're going down, Tiny."

"Excuse me?" Beca scoffed. She turned around and was met with a Korean girl who had a smirk plastered on her smug face.

"You heard me," she said again.

Beca repositioned herself over by Fat Amy.

"Who is that?" she murmured to the Australian.

"I think her name's Kimmy Jin, and I've heard she plays dirtier than a swamp-dwelling dingo."

"Yikes," Beca said under her breath, making a mental note to do her best to avoid the girl.

The whistle blew and Beca knew within minutes that they were going to get destroyed. Aubrey's team were more than prepared to play dirty – and it didn't help that the blonde was pacing up and down the sidelines, spurring her team on with a host of shrieking orders.

It began to rain, and by half-time, the Kickers were exhausted. Chloe huddled them under a large umbrella.

"You guys are playing really well," Chloe said, handing out the drink bottles. But everyone could her the pity in her voice; the score was 3-0.

"Beca I want you to switch to forward, okay? Jessica, you'll try defence," the redhead suddenly said.

"Huh? But Jessica is way better than me at goal scoring."

"I'm exhausted, Bec," Jessica said, wiping her red face with the towel. "And I beg to differ. You're a great attacker. And that Kimmy chick is brutal…"

"I dunno, I…"

Beca wasn't sure about having to change positions. As she was about to open her mouth to protest again, she saw out the corner of her eye a ferocious Aubrey dishing out instructions to her team.

"I'll do it," Beca agreed. Chloe smiled at her and a new wave of energy flowed through the DJ.

The teams took to the field again. Kimmy Jin stared directly at Beca, who decided she didn't really have a lot to lose, as far as soccer was concerned. She glared back unflinchingly.

Then the whistle blew and the teams began the second half of their muddy battle. Kimmy Jin was all elbows and hip-checks; twice Beca found herself sprawled on the ground, her once yellow t-shirt now unrecognizable.

To Beca's utter surprise, about four minutes in, she scored a goal. Her team shouted praise and Chloe called out proudly from the sidelines. Beaming, the team returned to their positions, with Beca feeling elated.

The game continued. The Kickers were putting up a good fight against Aubrey's team. After an almighty kick from the opposite end of the field from Stacie, Beca found the ball at her feet again, the goal in clear sight. She began manoeuvring past one opposing girl who was blocked by one of her teammates almost straight away. Thinking that she might actually have a chance, she drew back her foot to seal the deal –

_Whomp._

Something collided with Beca's head and everything went black.

* * *

Beca groaned from the mud. She was spread-eagled on her back. Her team was gathering around; somewhere in the distance, she heard someone calling for one of the medics. A redheaded figured swam into Beca's vision.

"Bec! Bec, look at me! Can you move?"

Beca's head was throbbing.

"Hnggg. My 'ead."

"Goddammit, Aubrey! Your team is too rough! That was totally uncalled for!"

Beca wished everyone would lower their voices.

"Can you stand?"

Beca was gingerly helped to her feet. Her surroundings came in and out of focus. Together with Chloe, two camp medics helped take the concussed Beca to the sick bay; Chloe ordered a sub to go on in Beca's place, and called for immediate ejection of Kimmy Jin from the game. The Korean girl had head-butted the DJ - whose kick had just managed to make it into the goal.

* * *

"It looks like you have a mild concussion. I'd recommend you stay here for a while so we can monitor you, unless your coach is willing to take you back to your dorm where it's quieter?"

Beca didn't need to be convinced. The sound of the whistles and the students stomping past in their soccer boots was painful.

The medic explained to Chloe that it was important that Beca didn't go to sleep. She was to rest – but sleep was off the cards for a few hours, just to be sure with the concussion.

After being given some pain meds and having the cut on her forehead cleaned up, Chloe escorted her injured girlfriend back to the dorm.

"I am so furious," the coach said, her arm linked through Beca's. "That girl shouldn't be allowed back on the field. She attacked you."

"I didn't even see her coming," Beca said quietly, the vibrations from her own speech made her head ache even more.

"Come on. Let's get you into bed."

Chloe began to lead the DJ up the little ladder to her loft. Beca didn't object.

"Here, you can wear my t-shirt."

Chloe started to tenderly remove Beca's muddy clothes piece by piece. Beca watched her girlfriend silently as she fussed and muttered about Aubrey.

"Why are you smiling?" Chloe asked as she pulled the clean shirt over her girlfriend's head. "Is that a symptom of concussion, hmm?"

"You're beautiful, you know that, right?" Beca said softly. Chloe laid her down and brought the covers up.

"You are," Chloe replied with a whisper. Then she reached down and kissed Beca softly.

Beca brought her hand up to Chloe's neck. She smelled sweet. It always amazed Beca how soft and warm her girlfriend was, and the feel of her lips was enough to make her forget the pain in her head. The kiss began to intensify. With her other hand, she pulled Chloe closer. The redhead didn't resist. She lifted up the sleeping bag and climbed in beside her, her blue eyes ablaze

"You could get me into a lot of trouble, you know," she breathed. Beca silenced her with her own tongue, and pulled at the waistband of Chloe's shorts. Within seconds they were gone. The two were kissing with a ferocity was fuelled by the fact they knew they were being dangerous.

* * *

Beca wasn't even aware she had fallen asleep.

The door to the dormitory opened and the sound of the team filing in echoed around the tiny space. "I can't wait to tell Beca and Chloe that we're going to the semi-finals… where are they? _Oh._"

Fat Amy and Beca made eye contact. For a full three seconds, every pair of eyes in the Kickers were on Beca's face and naked upper torso – and Chloe's red hair that was spilling off the edge of the loft.

"Uh… well this is awkward," Fat Amy said into the silence. It was enough to finally jerk Chloe awake; at the sight of her team below her, she shrieked and rolled backwards, dragging the sleeping bag with her. This now left Beca quite naked, and the team suddenly started making a whole heap of noise and making to leave the room.

"Wait!" Chloe suddenly shouted. She'd wrapped the sleeping bag around her naked frame and was standing at the top of the loft.

The team quietened down and looked at their coach with a new expression on their faces. "Just… wait a minute."

She carefully climbed down the ladder as Beca put her underwear and Chloe's t-shirt back on.

Once on the floor, Chloe straightened herself up and looked at her team one by one.

"I know what this looks like," she began, fear and embarrassment both written on her face. "It's… I know I can't stop any of you from saying anything. But. If I could just ask you to –"

"Dude, we don't care if you're into chicks," Fat Amy said. There were nods from the rest of the team.

"And it was kind of obvious about Beca, everyone pretty much knew she was a gay," Stacie added.

"Hey, what!?" Beca called from the loft.

"Thanks, I appreciate you're all… accepting and tolerant, that's great. But this is my University career at stake here. If anyone in management finds out –"

"We won't say a word. Will we, girls?" Fat Amy said. "It'll be our team secret."

Beca looked down at the team below her, and swelled with pride. They weren't going to disown her. They were going to keep quiet about the whole thing!

"Alright, well, let's all go to dinner and give the two lovebirds a chance to make themselves decent," Fat Amy said, ushering the team out. "Also – you should know we made the semi's. We're playing after lunch."

Chloe did her best to express her excitement, but it wasn't exactly easy when it was only a sleeping bag between them and her naked body.

As Chloe made to shut the door behind the team, Fat Amy grabbed her arm. "She must really be worth it," the Australian said in an undertone.

Chloe looked at her directly in the eye.

"She is."

* * *

[Author's note: Sorry about the delayed update! I've just flown from Canada to visit my girlfriend back in NZ. I've been rather preoccupied with her and trying to sort out boring things like Visas. I should be updating a little more frequently from now on, and I'm also excited to say I'm working on a new writing project. It's all original content and I'll be developing it while I'm home! Woo. Anyway, hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you'd like to get in touch with me via tumblr, my url is thesatellite-minds.]


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